Oh. So OP is going into mechanical engineering. Before doing software, I did mech e. I’d say it’s definitely more subjective, but still definitely not based on school. It’s based on experience. If you did a ton of internships, your starting salary will probably be higher than someone who didn’t (whereas in software it’s generally more of a base – albeit insanely high – starting salary that anyone good enough to get hired gets. Usually non-negotiable at the big companies; you have to negotiate bonuses/stock instead).